Dolphins' Language Resembles Human Communication

Dolphins are capable of “highly developed spoken language” which resembles human communication. While it has long been acknowledged dolphins are of high intelligence and can communicate with a larger pack, their ability to converse with each other individually has been less understood. But researchers at the Karadag Nature Reserve, Feodosia, Crimea believe the pulses, clicks and whistles – of up to five “words” – made by dolphins are listened to fully by another before a response is made. Essentially, this exchange resembles a conversation between two people. Each pulse produced by a dolphin is different from another in its time span and the frequencies it emits.

In this regard, we can assume that each pulse represents a phoneme or a word of the dolphin’s spoken language. However the dolphin’s speech unfortunately lies beyond the time and frequency characteristics of the human hearing, and is thus available to humans. The study was conducted on two adult bottlenose captive dolphins, a male and a female. The pair has lived for 20 years in a swimming pool. Without food rewards, a special audio system recorded the exchanges between the dolphins.

The noises emitted were of a different pattern than those produced in a pod. The analysis of numerous pulses registered in our experiments showed that the dolphins took turns in producing pulse packs and did not interrupt each other, which gives reason to believe that each of the dolphins listened to the other’s pulses before producing its own. This language exhibits all the design features present in the human spoken language.

A T-Shirt to Convert Body Heat Into Electricity

Scientists have developed a new light weight, conductive material which can convert body heat into electricity, and lead to t-shirts or arm bands that generate power for wearable electronics. The prototypes, developed by researchers at North Carolina State University in the US, are lightweight, conform to the shape of the body, and can generate far more electricity than previous lightweight heat harvesting technologies. The researchers also identified the optimal site on the body for heat harvesting. Wearable thermoelectric generators (TEGs) generate electricity by making use of the temperature differential between your body and the ambient air.

Previous approaches either made use of heat sinks – which are heavy, stiff and bulky – or were able to generate power only one microwatt or less of per square centimeter. This technology generates up to 20 microwatt per square centimeter and doesn’t use a heat sink, making it lighter and much more comfortable. The new design begins with a layer of thermally conductive material that rests on the skin and spreads out the heat. The material is topped with a polymer layer that prevents the heat from dissipating through to the outside air.

New Mobile Fridge to Store Vaccines

A 22-year-old student in the UK has invented a mobile fridge that can store vaccines at an ideal temperature while in transit, which could potentially save millions of lives. Current methods of transporting can result in the vaccines freezing before reaching their destination in countries where poverty and conflict are major obstacles. The device, called Isobar, maintains a steady two to eight degrees for 30 days. It heats ammonia and water to create ammonia vapors, which are then released into its main chamber when cooling is needed.

Now, 'Solar Impulse of the Seas' Readies to Sail Across Globe

Dubbed the “Solar Impulse of the Seas,” the first boat to be powered solely by renewable energies and hydrogen hopes to make it own historic trip around the world. A water-borne answer to the Solar Impulse – the plane that completed its round-the-globe trip using only solar energy in July – the ‘Energy Observer’ will be powered by the sun, the wind and self-generated hydrogen when it sets sail in February. The multi-hulled catamaran is awaiting the installation of solar panels, wind turbines and electrolysis equipment, which breaks down water to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

This is going to be the first boat with an autonomous means of producing hydrogen. The plan is for the boat’s batteries, which will feed the electric motors, to be powered in good weather by solar and wind energy. If there’s no Sun or wind, or at night, stored hydrogen will take over. As a result, the vessel’s trip will not use any carbon-emitting fossil fuels.

The catamaran won the Jules Verne Trophy, for a team sailing non-stop round the world in 1994. It was bought for 500,000 Euros and extended by six metres, to 30.5 metres, for the project. Its world tour is expected to take six years. After a careful crossing of the Mediterranean, the catamaran will venture out into the Atlantic and then Pacific Oceans. In all, 101 stopovers are planned form Cuba to New Caledonia to Goa.

This Smart Strap Will Turn Your Finger Into a Phone

Move over, earphones! You may soon be able to answer phone calls just by pacing your finger in your ear, thanks to a new wearable smart-watch strap developed by a Korean company. Sgnl is a smart strap that can be attached to existing smart-watches, and enables the users to answer phone calls through their fingertip. “With Sgnl, you can keep your cell phone alone in your pocket,” according to the Innomdle lab, a company based in Seoul that developed the device. When you place your finger to your ear, your finger not only transmits the sound but it also blocks out background noise. The device receives voice signal from the phone through Bluetooth. When a voice signal is received, it generates vibration through its Body Conduction Unit (BCU) which transmits the vibration through the hand to the fingertip. When the fingertip is placed to the ear, the vibration echoes to create amplified sound in the ear.

China Rolls Out Its First Sky Train in Nanjing

China’s first shy train came off the assembly line in the city of Nanjing, making it third country after Germany and Japan to develop the technology. The Nanjing Puzhen Company Limited, affiliated to China’s largest state-owned rolling stock manufacturer CRRC Corporation Limited (China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation) rolled out the elevated railway train on 10 September. The two compartments can hold more than 200 passengers, and when compared with subways and trams, shy trains have lower costs, better climbing and turning ability, and higher wind resistance, Chinese officials said. A professor of Beijing Jiaotong University said the construction period of shy trains is also much shorter than that of subways, lasting only three to five months for dozens of kms of rails. The overhauled railway is driven by batteries which can run for four hours at a time, and the batteries can be changed when stopped at a station, with the whole process lasting only two minutes. Experts said sky trains are a good choice in third and fourth tiered cities and at scenic spots. The sky trains will make their debut in China next year at a variety of scenic places.

A Material to Block Mobile Radiations

Scientists have developed a new material that can effectively block electromagnetic waves emitting from mobile phones, televisions, microwave ovens and other appliances. Researchers manufactured the material made out of MXene. MXene is a class of two-dimensional inorganic compounds made of titanium and carbon and a single layer is about one nanometer. Researchers found that MXene can block the electromagnetic waves. One of its strengths is it is easy to process and the cost is relatively cheap.